1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to glass cutting equipments and procedures and more particularly pertains to a glass cutter which may be affixed to a radial arm saw to make controlled circular scribings and straight line scribings at various angular dispositions from which circular and straight glass cuts are emergent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of glass cutters for linear and circular cutting is known in the prior art. More specifically, glass cutting apparatus heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of cutting circular and linear patterns from glass substrates are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for glass cutting in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,436 to Kozyrski et al. disclose a circle cutting system wherein circles are cut from glass by utilizing a glass cutting head attached at a desired distance from the axis of rotation of a freely pivoting elongated member having graduations indicative of the radius of the glass circle. The pivoting axis is affixed to a flexible sealing material which when pressed against the glass to be cut is held in place by ambient atmospheric pressure. A disadvantage in the Kozyrski invention is a lateral flexibility of the pivot axis which causes the circle to acquire some deviation from circularity, and an additional disadvantage is an inability to cut a straight line, in any angular disposition, from one glass edge to another. And a more significant disadvantage of the Kozyrski invention is the inability to cut annular glass rings. The present invention suffers neither a flexibility of a pivoting axis induced inaccuracy nor an inability to cut glass from edge to edge in any angular disposition. And furthermore, the present invention permits cutting of annular glass rings from a single glass substrate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,788 to Kozyrski et al. a cutting head turret assembly is disclosed wherein the turret assembly comprises a glass cutter and a plastic cutter capable of being rotated to a detent for selection of one or the other cutter type. There is no provision for producing circular cuts in glass nor is there an intrinsic linear guide enabling cutting glass at various angular dispositions in the Kozyrski et al. patent. The present invention enables cutting precise circles and straight lines at various angular dispositions in glass and plastic substrates.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,764 to Bando a glass plate grinding apparatus is described. The Bando invention comprises a driven chain conveyance for moving glass plates into engagement with an edge grinder thereby facilitating high rate production of glass having ground edges. There is no provision in the Bando invention for cutting glass. The present invention applies solely to glass cutting.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,628 to McMaster an apparatus for cutting and grinding glass is disclosed for cutting a predetermined pattern in glass followed by a grinding apparatus which finishes the cut edge. A disadvantage in this prior art lies in a lack of a simplistic arrangement employable outside the factory floor for cutting circular and other patterns in glass substrates of relatively small dimension. The present invention affixes to a common radial arm saw and provides the small shopkeeper and hobbyist with the capability to cut original and furthermore accurately reproduce parts from plate glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,531 to Biebuyck discloses a method employing abrasive tools for the combined cutting and trimming of glass or crystal articles and an apparatus for carrying out the said method. The disclosure teaches an abrasive disc machining technique and apparatus employed to both cut and finish the cut surface of three dimensional articles such as crystal vases and the like. The disclosure makes no provision for cutting circular parts from substantially two dimensional glass plate which is a primary advantage of the present invention. Furthermore, the Biebuyck invention comprises a necessarily large and costly apparatus suitable for factory floor applications and not economically applicable to hobbyist or small shop operations.
In U.S. Pat. No. Des. 268,392 to Insolio the ornamental design for a glass cutter attachment is disclosed having an enlarged finger pressure application portion attaching to a conventional manual wheel style glass cutter apparatus. The Insolio patent does not treat any device improving the ability to cut circular or angular shapes from glass plate. The present invention discloses a device and method for accurately performing circular cutting of glass plates and for cutting lines at various angular dispositions thereby forming rectangular and triangular cut parts of great precision.
In this respect, the radial arm saw glass cutting attachment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of cutting circles and triangular shapes from thin planar glass substrates.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved glass cutting apparatus and technique which can be employed to cut circular and triangular glass portions from glass plate substrates. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve and further develop glass cutting and finishing apparatus. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.